Two months after being arraigned on a charge of robbery-under-arms, an Albouystown, Georgetown shop owner found himself again before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, slapped with two other charges, one of which was attempted bribery committed on a Police officer.
Twenty-seven-year-old Christopher Gonsalves stood before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman on Monday and denied the two charges that were read to him.
The first charge stated that Gonsalves willfully attempted to obstruct the course of justice by offering $150,000 to Police Sergeant George so as to prevent the institution of a charge against him — on October 3, while he was at the Brickdam Police Station.
Another charge stated that, also on October 3, while he was in the vicinity of Punt Trench Dam in Albouystown, he had in his possession 530 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.
Police Prosecutor Quinn Harris informed the court that on October 3, ranks were carrying out a sting operation in Albouystown when they visited the shop at which the accused usually operates. During the sting operation, a rank went into Gonsalves’ shop and asked if he had “weed to sell”. According to the Prosecutor, Gonsalves then left the shop on a pedal cycle, and returned about five minutes later with a “bulky plastic bag” which contained the suspected cannabis.
He was subsequently arrested with the ganja after the plainclothes rank identified himself as a Police officer. The prosecution is also contending that on arrival at the Brickdam Police Station at about 16:00h, Gonsalves requested to speak with the officer in charge; and it was then that he made the brave attempt to bribe the Police sergeant with $150,000 which he had in his possession. He was further slapped with the present charge after the said sum of cash was lodged at the station.
Unrepresented by legal counsel, Gonsalves told the court that he never tried to bribe the officer with the money, but rather he told the officer to “hand the money ($150,000) over to my family, since I was in the lockup.” He was placed on $200,000 bail for the bribery charge, but was remanded to prison for the possession of narcotics charge. The matter has been adjourned to November 5.